Opinion: Antonio Brown has all the control over the Steelers

Antonio Brown, as of Friday morning, is not a member of the Buffalo Bills.

After a whirlwind nine hours or so of reporting that indicated the Bills and Pittsburgh Steelers might have been close to a deal, Buffalo GM Brandon Beane issued a statement saying "we have moved on" after "positive discussions" about acquiring the unhappy wide receiver who pushed for a trade this offseason.

But why did it all fall apart? We now have more reporting on the subject, and it sounds like Brown would not have reported to the Bills if he had been dealt there, turning this mess a whole lot messier:

That last part - the market is "pretty bleak" - spells it out. It seemed like there was optimism a deal would get done, giving both Brown and the Steelers the divorce both parties so desperately need.

Now? We know who's in control: It's Brown, not the Steelers.

If the two franchises were indeed close to a trade and it was Brown's agent Drew Rosenhaus who said he wouldn't report, then there's nothing the Steelers can do. Their next step, then, is to shuffle to Rosenhaus and quietly ask for a list of teams Brown would play for. And that means Brown's trade value just took yet another hit. The franchises he would play for can use the argument that the Steelers have no choice. And they don't.

As a reminder, Brown will leave a massive amount of dead money on the Steelers' salary cap after he signed a four-year, $68 million contract last year. It's actually possible they could cut him before he's paid a roster bonus later this month and just eat all of that cap space. So, at the very least, they want something back for one of the best receivers in football. For a team that trades for the mercurial Brown, they would get him at a bargain price (although would he get a revised contract with his new team?)

Sure, they could send him into football purgatory by telling him to sit while they pay him millions, but the Steelers would rather shut the door on the distractions Brown brings and get compensation in the process.

Last month, Steelers GM Kevin Colbert said, "We will only make a trade if it benefits the Pittsburgh Steelers."

Now, it's only going to happen if it benefits Brown.

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